Front-fork equalizer.



s. 1-. BUGKLAND;

FRONT FORK EQUALIZBR. APPLIOA 'I'ION FILED D20. 21, 1908.

940,783. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

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ill 5-. WITNESSES: I 5 IN V ENTOR.

- ATTORNEYS.

SETH J. BUCKLAND, OF SPRIZNGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

FRONT-FORK' EQUALIZER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 23, 19.09.

Application filed December 21, 1908. Serial No. 468,451.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, SETH J. BUCKLAND, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a new and useful Front-Fork Equalizer, ofwhich the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices designed to retain thefront fork, steering-post or equivalent member of a bicycle, motorcycle, automobile, or similar vehicle, or the steering-post of the rearrun ning gear of a hook-and-ladder truck, in the position to cause thewheel or wheels upon which such fork, steering-post or equivalent memberis or are mounted to track with the other wheel or wheels of the samevehicle, or, in other words, to keep normally said front fork,steering-post, or equivalent member in such a position that thesupporting axle tlnirefor shall be parallel with the other ax e.

, Broadly my invention comprises a suit-- ably mounted, compressible andexpansible member arranged with its axis in the form of an arc of acircle, fixed and movable abutments and stop members for the ends ofsuch compressible and expansible .member, and means whereby the devicecan be securely attached to the frame or body of a vehicle and properlyconnected with the steering mem ber of such vehicle, all as hereinafterset forth.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple but reliableequalizer, of the class described, which can be readily attached to anyvehicle that has a rotary steering member, and which when properlymounted tends always to retain the front and back wheels in alinement,and to restore them to this condition whenever such condition isdisturbed.

The device or appliance not only does not interfere with the steering ofthe machine or vehicle to which it is attached, but on the contrary isof considerable assistance in that operation, since it afiords somelittle resistance to the operator while in the act of steering or ofdeviating said machine or vehicle from a straight course, and so servesto steady said action, and upon the relaxation of the steering-gear,after being turned in one direction or the other by the operator, theappliance immediately acts to throw said steering-gear back into normalposition or condition again or to assist in so doing. Furthermore, theequalizer absorbs as it were the shock occasioned by the encounter of asteering wheel with which it is connected with an obstacle in the road,and so prevents an undue amount of deviation on the part of said wheeland quickly returns the wheel to normal position in the same way as whenthe wheel is caused to deviate intentionally or by the will of theoperator.

The invention is particularly useful for bicycles and motor cycles inpreventing the front fork from turning sidewise, when the machine isplaced near a curb with one pedal on the curb to hold said machine in anupright position, and so upsetting the machine, as very frequentlyhappens at the present time; and said invention is especially adapted toretain the front fork of a bicycle, with its wheel, in normal positionwhile the bicycle is being held by the back wheel or the rear fork ofsaid bicycle and trundled up and down stairs onsaid front wheel, whichis some thing that is quite impossible to do without the equalizer.

I attain the object and secure the advantages above pointed out by themeans illus trated in the accompanying drawings, in

' which Figure 1 is a front elevation of the head and portions of thefront fork and steeringpost of a bicycle, showing my equalizer appliedto said head and fork; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the parts whichappear in the preceding View; Fig. 3, a bottom view of the equalizerdetached from the frame head of the bicycle and without the clips bymeans of which connection is had with the front fork of said frame, oneend of the segmental bottom plate being broken away in order to show theinterior construction and arrangement of parts and the normal relativepositions of such parts to better advantage; Fig. 4:, a bottom view ofthe case, and, Fig. 5, a top, plan View of the spring and the supportingmembers therefor.

Similar figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the first two views I show the head 1, portions of the top bar 2 andthe bottom bar 3, the upper part of the front fork 4, and thesteering-post 5 of an ordinary bicycle frame, said steering-post risingfrom said fork through said head and being broken off at the top. Theseor similar members are those with which my invention is generallyassociated and connected.

The equalizer illustrated in the drawings consists of the members whichI will now. describe together with the auxiliary parts or connections. Acase 6 is provided which i's'constructed and adapted to fit on to thefront of the head 1 and to be there held securely by means of a clip 7and screws 88 and 99. The shape of the clip 7 is such that said clipfits snugly on to the back of the head 1 and over the top of the bottombar 3 at and adjacent to the junction of such bar with said head. Eachscrew 8 passes through a lateral ear 10 at one end of the clip 7 intothreaded engagement with a lateral lug 11 on the outside of the case 6.Each screw 9 is tapped into the lower part of one of the two lugs 11 andpasses through the same into contact with the head 1, the axis of suchscrew being radial to the axis of said head, at least it is preferablyso. When the screws 8 and 9 are tightened the case 6 is drawn and heldfirmly against the head by said screws and by the clip 7. As will beobserved, the screws 9 are located well back of the transverse,vertical, central plane of the head, so that they afford materialassistance to the other screws and the clip 7. Upon removing the screws8 from the lugs 11 and loosening the screws 9 the case 6 with the partssupported thereby can be removed from the head 1.

The case 6 is segmental in form and has an enlarged, flaring or bulgingbase 12 which is also segmental. Within this base, which is openunderneath, is a channel 13 into which extend two pairs of verticalabutments 1 1. The abutments 14 are situated just behind the lateral,diametral center of the base 12, and the abutments in each pair are0ppositely disposed relative to each other. Three vertical holes 15, onein front and two behind, but spaced apart, as shown in Fig. 4, aretapped into the base 12 from below for a corresponding number of screws16. The front hole 15 is in the outer wall of the channel 13 while theother two holes 15 are in the inner wall of said channel. The portionsof the base 12 in which the aforesaid holes are made are built outsomewhat from the walls of the channel 13 and extend a little belowsuch'walls, the distance of such extension being approximately equal tothe thickness of a segmental plate 17 which is held in place by thescrews 16.

The segmental plate 17 covers the open bottom of the channel 13, beingsupported by the heads of the screws 16 between such heads and the base12. The plate 17 is not only supported on the heads of the screws 16, asstated, but is guided by said screws in its movement around the axis ofthe case 6, which axis is the same as that of the head 1 and steeringpost 5 and of theplate itself. Thus it will be seenthat the plate 17 issupported from below and at the edges by is turned in either direction,and thus to afford positive means for limiting the amount of suchmovement, one or the other of the outer shoulders contacting with theouter screw, according to the direction given said plate, and one or theother of the inner shoulders at the same time contacting with one or theother of the inner screws. Either set or pair of the shoulders 18 may beomitted from one edge of the plate, or there might be a single shoulderon each edge provided the two were on the same side of a line passingthrough the axis of the plate and through the center of the outer screw16. Rising into the channel 18 from the plate 17 atthe ends are twoabutments 19 each of which is of a width that permits it to enterbetween the abutments 14-with which it is associated, so that as saidplate is turned in opposite directions said butments 19 pass both waysthrough the spaces between the abutments 11 in both pairs. A segmentalsupport or rod 20 has its ends rigidly secured to the abutments 19, andis held by the latter in the channel 13 over the plate 17. Mounted onthe curved rod 20 are two stop members or washers 21 and a compressibleand expansible member in the form, in the present instance andpreferably, of a spiral-spring 22. The spiral-spring 22 bears with itsends against the washers 21. These washers are too large to pass betweenthe adjacent abutments 14. The rod 20 is of the right length to permitthe abutments 19 to stand between the abutments 14, with the inner facesof the former flush with the inner faces of the latter, and the washers21 are pressed against their adjacent abutments let and 19 by thespiral-spring 22 when the abutments 19 are positioned as stated, saidspring acting on theone hand to force said washers into the aforesaidposition and on the other hand to draw the abutments 19 against thewashers through the medium of said rod. This is the normal position andcondition of the springpressed members, since the force of thespiral-spring, which spring is always in a state of compression, is thenequally dis tributed and one end balances or equalizes the other end.Now if the plate 17 be turned about its axis in either direction, thespring 22 will be compressed more than before and to a degree whichaccords with the amount of rotation given said plate, that is to say,the more the plate is turned the greater will be the compression of thespring and the greater the power required to overcome the resistance ofthe spring, consequently the greater will be'the force exerted by-thespring when" released and the morepower it will have to restore'the'normalrelation of the parts controlled thereby. The increasedcompression of the spring 22 is due to thefact that, as the plate 17 isturned, one of the abutments 19 moves outward and leaves the washer 21and the spring at that end bearing against the associated abutments 14,while the other abutment 19 moves inward taking with it the washer 21 atthat end and compressing said spring between the last-mentioned washerand the other washer which is still in contact with its abutments 14. Tostate it a little difi erently, whichever way the plate is turned, oneabutment 19 moves outward away from its associated abutments 14, leavingthe adjacent washer behind as the rod 20 slides through the latter, andthe other abutment 19 moves forward away from its associated abutments14, carrying with it the contacting washer and compressing the spring.

Upon the release of the plate 17, the spiral-spring 22 immediately-actsto return said plate to initial or normal position, as will be readilyunderstood from the foregoing explanation.

On the underside of the plate 17 at the ends are two depending ears 23,from which project two lateral and upwardly-directed hooks 24. The hooks24 areengaged by the upper, hooked ends of two arms 25 which rise fromthe same number of clips 26 on the legs of the fork 4. Each clip 26 isclasped around one of the legs of the fork 4 and there held securely bymeans of a screw 27 and a nut 28, and the arm 25 rises from the upperedge of the outer side of said clip. The hooked ends of the arms 25engage the horizontal portions of the hooks 24 in front, and above andbelow, so that the plate 17 receives additional support in this way andmust always move with the fork 4 whenever said fork turns or is turnedin either direction. Contrariwise, the plate 17 whenever actuated by thespiral-spring 22 acts through the medium of the hook connections and theclips 26 to rotate the fork 4 and to bring it into position with itswheel in line with the rear-wheel.

It must be clear now how the equalizer has a constant tendency to keepthe fork 4 and the steering-post 5 in normal position, and to returnthem to such position whenever designedly or otherwise they are turnedto the right or to the left. Thus it is that the bicycle is renderedmore reliable and manageable, not only while being ridden, but at othertimes as well.

lVhile most of the curved or segmental parts shown and described aresemi-circular or approximately so, the base 12 of the case 6 exceedsthis dimension to a sufficient extent to afford a covering foreither.itermin'al..of'

the plate 17 and the membersecarriedllthere by when said plate occupieseither ofits ex treme positions.

There niayjbe some considerable variation in the size and shape andeveniin the con"- struc'tionotherwise of some-or all of the parts which enterinto the formation of my invention without departing from the nature ofsuch invention, and although denominated a front-fork equalizer andparticularly described and illustrated as such, nevertheless it is plainthat the invention is applicable to different kinds of steering members,such as have been mentioned in the early part of this description,without other'change than would be needed in making the connections inthe new relation.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An equalizer, of the class described, comprising a suitably mountedcompressible and expansible segmental member, fixed abutments and stopmembers adapted to limit the outward movement of such segmental memberat the ends, and movable abutments adapted to be moved one against oneend of said segmental member inward from the adjacent fixed abutment andthe other away from the other end of said segmental member outward fromthe adjacent fixed abutment to compress itbetween one of said fixedabutments and one of said movable abutments, said stop membersintervening between the ends of the segmental member and on one hand thefixed abutment and on the other hand the movable abutment when suchcompression takes place.

2. An equalizer, of the class described, comprising a fixed memberprovided with abutments, a member arranged in rotary sliding relation tosuch fixed member and provided with abutments which are adapted to passsaid first-mentioned abutments, segmental supporting means connected tothe abutments on such rotary sliding member, stop members looselymounted on such supporting means, such stop members being incapable ofpassing the abutments on said fixed member, and a compressible andexpansible member on said supporting means between said stop members.

3. An equalizer, of the class described, comprising a fixed memberprovided with abutments, a member arranged in rotary sliding relation tosuch fixed member and provided with abutments which are adapted to passsaid first-mentioned abutments, positive means to limit the movement ofthe rotary sliding member, segmental supporting means connected to theabutments on such rotary sliding member, stop members loosely mounted onsuch supportmg means, such stop members being incapable of passing theabutments on said fixed member,

and. a compressible and .expansible member on said'supporting meansbetweensaidstop members. Q v

4. The combination, in an equalizer ofthe class described,with-asuitable case provided with abutments, of a platearranged inrotary sliding relation to such.- case and provided with abutments whichare adaptedto pass said first-mentioned abutments, a segmental supportbetween the plate abutments, washers loosely mounted on such support andincapable of passing said case abutments, and a spiral-spring on saidsupport between said washers.

5. The combination, in an equalizer of the class described, with a fixedpart of a vehicle, a suitable case provided with abutments, and means tosecure such case to such fixed part of a vehicle, of a plate arranged inrotary sliding relation to said case and provided with abutments whichare adapted to pass said first-mentioned abutments, a curved supportbetween the plate abutments, washers loosely mounted on such support andincapable of passing said case abutments, a spiral-spring on saidsupport between said washers, a steering member on said vehicle, andsuitable means for connecting said plate with saidsteering member.

6. The'combination, in an equalizer of the class described, with thehead'of a bicycle frame, and the front fork of the bicycle, of a caseadapted to fit such head and provided .with a segmental channel havingabutments therein, means to fasten sald case to said head, a platecovering said channel and arranged to' turn at about the same axis assaid fork, abutments extending from said plate into such channel, suchplate abutments being adapted to pass the abutments in the channel, asegmental rod between said plate abutments, washers loosely mounted onsuch rod and incapable of passing sald case- .abutments, a spiral-springon said rod be- F. A. CUTTER, A. C. FAIRBANKS.

